Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama threatens to sue Premier Doug Ford for defamation

Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama is threatening to sue Premier Doug Ford for accusing her of antisemitism over comments she made in support of Palestinians.

Jama's office served the cease and desist letter to Ford on Thursday, said a statement from her lawyer Stephen Ellis and the Legal Centre for Palestine. The letter says if Ford does not remove his social media post, and publicly apologize, Jama will pursue legal action for defamation. 

"Ms. Jama maintains the post was reckless and malicious," the statement said. "Ms. Jama will not tolerate Premier Ford's attempts to tarnish her reputation in such a public manner."

NDP leader Marit Stiles responded to Jama providing legal notice to Ford, stating in an email "the premier made inflammatory accusations against MPP Jama." She declined to comment further as it is a legal matter. 

"Though I would call out this government for repeatedly and cynically fanning the flames of division during such a painful time," she added.

Jama's letter is the latest development in a controversy that erupted last week after Jama posted a statement to X, formerly Twitter, calling for an immediate ceasefire as well as an "end to all occupation of Palestinian land." 

She focused largely on the Palestinian territories, saying "violence and retaliation rooted in settler colonialism have taken the lives of far too many innocent people." She did not directly mention the Hamas attacks. 

The statement prompted both anger and support.

Ford then released his statement on Oct. 11 that claimed Jama has a "long and well-documented history of antisemitism" and "hateful views."

In the cease and desist letter, Jama's lawyer Ellis says Ford implied she is racist, sympathetic to terrorism and unfit to represent her Hamilton Centre riding. 

Jama didn't remove her original post, but added an apology and publicly denounced the Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians.

"I heard many voices yesterday raising concern about my post," she wrote in a statement shared by the Ontario NDP. "I hear them - and above all, I understand the pain that many Jewish and Israeli Canadians, including my own constituents, must be feeling. I apologize." 

MPPs debating censuring Jama

This week, Ontario's legislature is debating a Progressive Conservative motion to censure Jama over her statement unless she removes it and apologizes "in her place in the House."  

The motion calls for the speaker not to recognize her in the House, effectively preventing her from asking questions or debating legislation. 

The motion has left Hamilton residents concerned the city will no longer have a voice at Queen's Park, if the motion is passed. 

Lucia Iannantuono ran against Jama for the Hamilton Centre MPP position last March. In a post on X, she said Jama, "won the right to represent the residents of #HamOnt, including me. Under a PC majority our only representation is questions from opposition MPPs on our behalf. And that right to that representation cannot be steamrolled without significant cause."

Iannantuono also said she thought Jama's comments did not constitute "hate speech, no matter if you disagree with them."

The NDP Hamilton Centre Provincial Riding Association also put out a statement, saying "silencing MPP Jama will deny the voters of Hamilton Centre representation in government."

Rima Berns-McGown, a former Toronto NDP MPP who is Jewish and lived in Israel in the 1980s, said she believes the Ford government is trying to silence Jama.

"Sarah is an uncompromisingly critical voice and if she's not there, they don't get asked the hard questions in the same way," she told CBC Hamilton.

In a statement earlier this week, Stiles said, "MPP Jama's comments caused harm, and she apologized for that."

"Removing an elected MPP's ability to speak in the legislature is a drastic step that shouldn't be taken lightly." 

Stiles says the government is trying to muzzle a democratically elected member of provincial parliament even though she has already apologized.

She also said the Tories are using Jama as a way to distract from the fact that the RCMP is investigating the government's decision — which it has now reversed — to open parts of the protected Greenbelt lands for housing development.

CBC Hamilton contacted the premier's office for comment but did not hear back before publication.